It is narrated that Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī
said: “We had not made any preparations when Khaybar was conquered. So we – the
companions of the Prophet (sws) – came upon this plantation – i.e. garlic.
People were extremely hungry. So we had our fill [from it] and came to the
mosque. The Prophet (sws) sensed its odour and said: ‘Whoever eats anything of
this vicious tree must not come near us in the mosque.’ Hearing this, people
started telling each other: It is prohibited, it is prohibited. When this
reached the Prophet (sws), he said: ‘O People, I do not have authority to
prohibit anything that God has kept lawful for me.1 [It is not prohibited,] but,
in fact, it is only a tree, the odour of which I detest.’”

Notes on the Text of the
Narrative

This narrative or a part of it
with some variations has been reported in Muslim No. 565, Abū Dā’ūd No. 3823,
Ahmad ibn Hanbal Nos. 11099, 11600, 11822 and 23572), Ibn Khuzaymah No. 1667,
Bayhaqī Nos. 4838 and 4839, Ibn Hibbān No. 2085, Abū Ya‘lā No. 1195. The
preferred text is taken from Muslim No. 565.

In some narratives, as in
Bayhaqī’s No. 4839, the words فوقعنا في تلك البقلة
(we came upon this plantation) have been reported as
وقمنا في تلك البقلة (we
stood in this plantation).

In some narratives, as in Ahmad
ibn Hanbal’s No. 11600, the demonstrative pronoun تلك
in the words في تلك البقلة
(in this plantation) have been reported synonymously as تيك.

In some narratives, as in Abū
Ya‘lā’s No. 1195, the words في تلك البقلة الثوم
(in this plantation – that is, garlic) have been reported as في تلك البقلة الثوم والبصل (in this
plantation – that is garlic and onion).

In some narratives, as in Ahmad
ibn Hanbal’s No. 11099, the words والناس جياع
(and the people were very hungry) have synonymously been reported as وناس جياع.

In some narratives, as in Ibn
Khuzaymah’s No. 1667, the words ثم رحنا إلى المسجد
(then we came to this mosque) have been narrated as ثم
قمنا إلى المسجد (then we prepared for the mosque);
while in some narratives, as in Abū Ya‘lā’s No. 1195, these words have been
reported as فرجعنا إلى المسجد
(then we returned to the mosque).

In some narratives, as in Ahmad
ibn Hanbal’s No. 11600, the words فقال الناس
(then the people said) have synonymously been reported as فقال ناس.

In some narratives, as in Ahmad
ibn Hanbal’s No. 11099, the words إنه ليس بي تحريم ما
أحل الله (I do not have authority to prohibit anything
that God has allowed) have been reported as إنه ليس لي
تحريم ما أحل الله (It is not for me to disallow
anything that God has allowed).

In some narratives, as in Ibn
Khuzaymah’s No. 1667, the following words have been added to the saying of the
Prophet (sws) وإنه يأتيني من الملائكة فأكره أن يشموا
ريحها (Angels come to be and I do not want them to
smell this odour).

Some narratives, as for instance,
Abū Dā’ūd’s No. 3823 have given the same subject matter in a slightly different
manner, as follows:

It is narrated that garlic and
onion were mentioned in front of the Prophet (sws). It was said: “O Prophet,
garlic is the stronger among these in its odour. Do you prohibit eating it?” The
Prophet (sws) said: “Eat it. However, whoever among you eats of it should not
come near us in the mosque, till the time that its odour subsides.”

In some narratives, as in
Bayhaqī’s No. 4838, the words حتى يذهب ريحه منه
(till the time its odour subsides) have been reported as حتى يذهب عنه ريحه منه (till the
time that its odour subsides from him).

In some other narratives, as for
instance in Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s No. 11822, it is reported:

It is narrated that Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī
said: “The Prophet (sws) stopped us from [eating] leek, onion and garlic. People
asked: “Is it prohibited?” Abū Sa‘īd replied: “No, but the Prophet (sws) stopped
us from [eating] it.”

While in another narrative, as in
Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s narrative No. 23572, the same
subject matter has been reported in a different context, as follows:

It is narrated that Abū Ayyūb Al-Ansārī said: “When
any food would be brought to the Prophet, he would eat from it and sent anything
that was left to me. One day, he sent me a basin from which he had not eaten
anything. There was garlic in it. I asked him: Is it prohibited? He replied:
“No, but I don't like it due to its odour.” Abū Ayyub said: “I too dislike what
you do not like.”

1. This narrative provides a very good example of how a
simple statement of the Prophet (sws) can be misinterpreted by the listeners as
a directive of the sharī‘ah and, subsequently, can potentially be narrated as
such. The statement: “I do not have authority to prohibit anything that God has
kept lawful for me,” is a basic principle in the interpretation of all such
narratives.